Discover the Area’s Newest Dining Options

By Breeana Greenberg

Since the spring of 2022, many new restaurants, taprooms, and cafés have opened their doors in South Orange County, offering residents and visitors alike a variety of new dining options to try this year. Here’s a rundown of those eateries where readers, residents and visitors can whet their appetites and quench their thirst.

San Clemente

Los Molinos Beer Company

The new brewery opened its doors in the Los Molinos Business District on April 16, 2022, offering craft beer, burgers, sandwiches and more.

151 Calle De Los Molinos, San Clemente. 949.599.5029. losmolinosbeer.com.

Beach Hut Deli

The Southern California chain opened its third location in San Clemente’s North Beach Historic District in May 2022, offering sandwiches, salads, beach munchies and more.

1844 N. El Camino Real, San Clemente. 949.312.2257. beachhutdeli.com.

Gema

Owner Sarah Resendiz opened Gema in summer 2022, offering authentic Mexican cuisine in an intimate neighborhood environment.

110 South El Camino Real, San Clemente. 714.640.9371. gemarestaurant.com.

San Juan Capistrano

The Rooftop Kitchen + Bar

The Rooftop Kitchen + Bar, offering American comfort cuisine with open-air seating that boasts a bird’s-eye view of downtown San Juan, celebrated its grand opening during the Swallows Day Parade on March 12, 2022.

31781 Camino Capistrano, Suite 301, San Juan Capistrano. 949.503.3358. rooftopoc.square.site.

Pacific Pearl Café

Offering a light breakfast or lunch and a relaxing spot to enjoy a cup of coffee, Pacific Pearl Café opened its doors in late March 2022.

31654 Rancho Viejo Road, San Juan Capistrano. 949.312.2906. pacificpearlcafe.com.

Breezy

The island-themed brunch spot celebrated its grand opening on Nov. 5, 2022, offering pancake stacks, avocado toast, acai bowls and more.

31761 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.373.5218. experiencebreezy.com.

Bloom Restaurant + Bar

Bloom celebrated its grand opening across from Mission San Juan Capistrano on Dec. 2, 2022, offering seasonally inspired comfort foods.

31760 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 949.503.2654. bloomsanjuancapistrano.com.

Dana Point

Outer Reef

Outer Reef, which opened on April 29, 2022 at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, offers a distinct West Coast spin on favorite dishes from Chef John Tesar’s previous seafood restaurant, Spoon Bar and Kitchen in Dallas.

25135 Park Lantern, Dana Point. 949.487.7555. outerreefoc.com.

Tabay’s Mindful Kitchen tabaysmindfulkitchen.com.

Parked at the intersection of Doheny Park Road and Victoria Boulevard near the 76 fuel station in Capistrano Beach, Tabay’s Mindful Kitchen food truck celebrated its grand opening on July 10, 2022, offering vegan burgers, chili cheese dogs and poke bowls.

APizza Doho

Marcos Costas, Christopher Christian and his nephew, Anthony Christian, held a soft opening for their East Coast-style pizza restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway on Sept. 21, 2022.

34255 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 101, Dana Point. 949.570.3636. apizzadoho.com.

Delahunt Brewing Taproom + Taqueria

The San Clemente-based brewery celebrated the grand opening of its taproom and taqueria on Sept. 2, 2022, bringing its craft beers and tacos to Dana Point.

34091 La Plaza, Dana Point. 949.503.1348. delahuntbrewing.com.

Young’s Beach Shack

The Ranch at Laguna Beach celebrated the opening of Young’s Beach Shack, a new concession stand at Salt Creek Beach on Feb. 21, 2023, offering locally sourced, coastal cuisine and craft beers and wine.

33521 Ritz Carlton Drive, Dana Point. 949.388.2430. youngsbeachshack.com.

Maison Cafe + Market

Dana Point Chef Danielle Kuhn reopened Maison Café + Market at its new location in the Prado West Development on April 4, 2023, offering a seasonal menu of organic produce, pastries and fresh coffee.

24501 Del Prado Ave, Dana Point. 949.218.8431. maisondanapoint.com.

Beyond the typical restaurants around South County that serve American or Italian fare, hungry residents in Dana Point, San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano have numerous dining destinations at their disposal that offer foods from a wide range of cultures.

Nalu’s Hawaiian Fish Grill & Tutu’s Kitchen, owned by Mike Garrett, seeks to educate visitors about “akamai eating,” which guides followers to eat smart and be faithful stewards of the world around them.

The plethora of char-grilled fish and poke dishes, roast pork meals, soups and other options bear out Nalu’s vision by using fresh and all-natural meats and locally grown produce.

Borne out of a deep connection to Hawaii and a partnership with Tony Trung, who Garrett calls the president of the Nalu’s organization, Nalu’s brings an authentic version of Hawaiian food to the West Coast.

Garrett’s business pursuits in the late 1970s placed him in Hawaii often, where he was introduced to the concept of plate lunches, an island staple, and its own version of “fast food” consisting of two scoops of rice, macaroni salad and meat, such as teriyaki chicken.

“There’s a lot of people that try to copy it,” says Garrett. “It’s not done like (it is) in grandma’s kitchen, and that’s pretty much why we call it Tutu’s Kitchen. ‘Tutu’ is grandma.”

He recalled that whenever he was in Hawaii on business, he always preferred